Eurotrip (2004)

(On TV, March 2015) I wasn’t expecting much from this raunchy teenage comedy, so low expectations may be behind this relatively positive review. Clearly made in the wake of American Pie, this silly movie follows a group of friends as they make their way through Europe one the flimsiest of reasons. Tons of stereotypical jokes follow them without much shame, every country on their itinerary earning a few dumb-American jabs along the way. Still, some of the jokes are actually pretty good, and the inclusion of a surprising amount of nudity makes up for a number of other flaws. (But, alas, not the low-level sexism of the script.) Eurotrip is not, to be clear, a good or even polished movie: it sinks deeper in dumbness until it beats you in submission of its lame jokes, and you know you’ve arrived at the right level when you expect lame-comedy veteran Dietrich Bader to show up… and he does. At least the soundtrack is peppy, the direction is unobtrusive and the lead actors are likable, with special mention to Michelle Trachtenberg and Travis Wester as “the worst twins ever”. The episodic structure of the film makes it uneven, but it finds a nice comedic rhythm midway through and keeps going well into the end.